Nico's Secret
by Gin no Karasu
Summary: One of Nico's deepest secrets have been exposed to the eight other members of Muse, causing them to be really conflicted. Nico inteprets it as them being mad at her, and begins to show her weaker side.
1. Chapter 1

"Ni- Nico? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I- I need some time to think this through..."

"S- someone please save..."

These comments filled the clubroom, all directed at Nico. What they didn't notice was that her eyes began to water from the criticism. She began to sulk.

"Everyone! Calm down," Maki shouted, causing the room to go silent. "Nico, are you alright?" She tried to comfort Nico's sorrow.

The next thing you knew, Nico ran out of the club room, crying along the way.

"Don't you think we went too far?" Kotori stood up to reprimand the others.

"You're right," Rin commented, "we've never seen this side of Nico before. And I don't think we ever wanted to. I don't think it's that big a problem, so I thought she'd just brush it off."

"I- I think I'm at fault too..." Hanayo sheepishly muttered in guilt.

"That's just it!" An idea whizzed past Honoka's head, "we should pay a visit to her house again later! Say, what was the problem again?"

"You really weren't listening, Honoka," Umi sighed.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Earlier on...

"H- hey! Hanayo! Calm down!" Nico dashed out of the toilet and ran across the corridors, chasing Hanayo.

"O- o- o-" was all Hanayo could say on occasion as she was being chased.

Hanayo pounced onto Rin the minute she saw her.

"What's the matter, Kayo-chin? Nico, what did you do to her?"

"I saw her... I saw her... I saw her... help me..." Hanayo could only speak these words in fear.

"It- it's not what it looks like!"

"Then what is it, Nicocchi?" a voice spoke before Nico felt her empty chest being groped. Nico knew it was Nozomi with a grin on her face. Nozomi's hands reached down to Nico's lower body.

"No, no, not there..."

Nozomi's face turned red as she felt something, before turning back. "S- sorry about that."

"Otokonoko..." Hanayo muttered softly, "Nico... She, no, he... he's actually a boy..."

"Nico, is that true?" Rin questioned with a rather concerned look.

"Yes," Nico responded with her head hung low, "yes I am."

When she looked up, the other eight members of Muse were before her- or rather, him.

**XXXXXXXXX**

"You're back early, Nico-nii," Nico's little sisters, Cocoro and Cocoa, greeted him as he returned home.

"Yes I am," Nico's face was full of dull emotion and her soul, emptied of happiness. Her eyes were red, redder than usual, that is.

"Are you alright, Nico-nii?" they both asked in unison.

"I'll be good, I'll be good."

In reality, Nico was sobbing in his room, brimming with emotional pain.

"I have failed you, Papa. I wanted to make everyone smile. They're all really mad at me now."


	2. Chapter 2

"I- I think I'll skip today's practice. I have something important at... errrr... home."

Maki delivered her request to her seven comrades.

"I don't know about-" Umi, before being able to complete her sentence, felt a hand landing on her shoulder. It was Nozomi.

"Well, stay safe," Nozomi wishes before Maki heads off.

**XXXXXXXXX**

"Man, I hope I'm doing the right thing," Maki stresses as she walks away from the school. It was very obvious that she was not heading home, for she took a different route than usual. She did not approach her mansion, but instead, entered an apartment building via lift.

"I still think apartments are confusing," Maki mutters to herself. "Let's see... 2 5... 2 5... 2... here it is."

She proceeds to ring the bell with her sheer courage. This was her first visit to a boy's house. Technically it was the second, since they never knew Nico was a boy back then.

The door opened, only to reveal Nico's younger sister, Cocoro.

"Ah! It's Maki! Nico Nii talks about you really often!"

"I see," Maki blushes, "so, where is she now?"

"In her room. She doesn't really want us to get in," Cocoro explains.

"I see," Maki cups her chin, "I'll see if I can do something."

"Maki Maki, are you interested in Nico Nii?"

The question Cocoro asked struck Maki's heart.

"Well, it's not that... anyways... I'll just see if she's doing fine."

Maki's feet drag through the house, before she opens the doors to Nico's room.

"I thought I told you both to leave Nico Nii alone for a while," Nico sobbed.

"It's me, Maki."

"I really can't believe you're seeing me in such a pathetic state. I feel like I've lost everything," Nico continues to cry.

"There's no need to be like that, Nico," Maki lends Nico her shoulder, a shoulder to cry on.

"They really hate me now, don't they? I- I think I might have to g- go solo or something," Nico's sorrow and fear spoke for him.

Maki looked at the ripped posters of Muse on the floor. Maki then realised how deeply crushed Nico was.

"Well... the thing is... well nevermind that," Maki wipes Nico's tears with a hankerchief from her pocket.

"It's hard to believe you still care about me after what I did," Nico cleans her tears, "I'm just a crossdressing little pervert to you, right?"

"No you aren't, Nico," Maki tries to cheer Nico up, "but you just aren't the same Nico with that frown on your face. Cheer up, will you?"

Nico nods before leaving her room with Maki by his side.

**XXXXXXXXX**

"So, why do you crossdress, anyways?"

Maki popped this question while she was playing and handling Nico's three siblings.

Nico, emerging from the kitchen with a plate of biscuits in her hands, simply commented, "that's not something I like to talk about."

"I... It's not that I wanted to know, but I guess I'll respect your decision," says Maki.

"I guess I'll tell you, only if you promise not to tell the rest," Nico was prepared to tell the tale after Maki gave a nod. "You see, I used to have a childhood friend who looks rather similiar to you. I had a really huge crush on her. She was always pretty popular, but I guess I was a lucky one to always be by her side. We always wanted to be idols, that's why we formed a duet, and I always dressed like a girl on those occasions."

Nico looks at a photo frame on a table, remniscenting the memories of the past

"She really wanted to go to Otonokizaka High because it was her family's alma mater. It was an all-girls school, which was why I crossdressed to get in. We formed the Idol Research Club together with three others, until that one fateful day when a horrible disease took her life. Ever since then, I've been really strict, having high expectations for new members so I wouldn't disappoint the legacy she left behind. Instead, I drove it into failure."

"So, was she the one who taught you how to smile? If so, she did a great job guiding you," Maki praised.

"Nah, that's another story," Nico manages to smile as tears rolled down her cheeks, "and he isn't here with me anymore either. Anyways, thanks Maki. I feel a little better after getting that off my chest. When I got into Muse, I knew that I didn't fail her. But now, I don't know what to do. Sorry for showing you this side of me, Maki."

"I- I guess it's alright..." Maki blushes as she grabs a cookie, "I guess I can stay here until late night, I have nothing going on anyways."

"Well, I suppose a little company wouldn't hurt. Maki, you've been a great help today, but I still don't think I can see them face-to-face now."


	3. Chapter 3

"Let me guess, you're parents aren't home again," Maki smiles.

"Y- yeah..." Nico responds.

"I see."

"Well, there isn't much to do here. Want to come to my room?"

"A- a-" Maki's face turned red like her scarlet hair as she stuttered. "I guess I will."

With that, Nico and Maki went into the room once more. Nico began to approach the drawers to unveil something within them.

Maki did not feel very good about this. What was Nico going to conjure from the bottomless pit?

"I could use a little help taping these back onto the walls," Nico pulled out a bundle of posters and some tape.

Maki took one and looked at it. "Even the Soldier Game ones? I thought you didn't really like Soldier Game."

"My voice was a little rusty for a week when that happened. I can't blame you guys for finding a suitable substitute. I still think we should pull a BiBi version of Soldier Game sometime," Nico brightened up, then sighed, "that is, if Eli and I ever see face to face again. What am I even doing."

"Well, I know exactly how you feel. I was not very close to Muse back then either, until that vacation camp."

"The first one or second one?"

"First one. Although, I did prefer the second one... for reasons," Maki's mouth curls as she blushes, "by the way, I notice a little something different between these posters and the ones you ripped."

"The difference is obvious enough."

"Well, I can see that you're not in some of these posters."

Maki observed that these posters were authentic, original, and not photoshopped in any way. Just because Nico might act like the same old little brat, does not mean that he does not change.

"Do you... hate Muse now?"

"I- I don't know, but they might hate me now. I don't want them to hate me over this," Nico speaks.

"I guess you still value Muse huh," Maki walks towards Nico and places her palms on his cheek, "I just can't imagine a Muse without you. That's why I'm going to make the best of it before the day comes."

Maki pushes Nico onto the bed and pins him down, before beginning to breathe heavily.

"Ma- Maki? What are you doing? We- we're both girls- wait, we're not, but what are you doing anyways?"

"You see," Maki responds, "I don't get it either, that is why..." she begins to unbutton her shirt.

"You're too strong! I can't even get myself up!" Nico was very well aware of what was occuring, "you're still a kid!"

"You're one to talk," Maki reaches for Nico's legs, and underneath his skirt, pulling his panties down.

And that was when the door opened. Before them was the seven other members of Muse.

"I'm sorry, are we interrupting something," Nozomi teases.

"It- it's nothing," Maki blushes as she looks at her comrades. They almost saw her performing a shameful act. Maki buttons her clothes and stands up.

"It's pretty obvious something really shameful is going on here," Umi ponders.

"I- I guess you're really mad at us aren't you, Nico," Hanayo's head was down as she commented on the ripped posters all over the floor.

Nico simply gets up, pulls his panties up, and does a little stunt with his fingers. His middle and ring fingers were down and his other three fingers stood tall. This could only mean one thing.

"Nico Nico Nii~ My smile pierces through your heart~ You just can't live without a little Nico Nii in your life~ Nico~!"

Honoka nods in response to the act. "Nico is officially back in the game! This definitely calls for a celebration. I guess we have you to thank, Maki."

"Well," Nico releases her usual frown. It wasn't a frown driven by anger or despair, but by the pride of the usual Nico everyone knew and loved, "this is a good timing. I could use fourteen extra hands to decorate my walls.

"These posters look a little different from the ones we saw the other time," Kotori looks at one of them.

"They sure do," Nico comments while puffing his chest.

"Glad to see you all fine, Nico," Maki speaks as she turns away, embarassed.

Nico does the same, while thanking Maki for her company.

* * *

"No alcohol, we're all still underaged," Kotori reprimands.

"Honoka, where do you even get that?" Eli comments.

All nine members of Muse, and Nico's three siblings, sat at the dining table. It was small, but they could manage.

"Well, let's reach for the sky, reach for the moon, and reach for the stars! With this episode all wrapped up, we can once again aim for the top spot of Love Live!"

With Honoka's inspirational words, all nine members let out their hands in the middle of the table.

"One."  
"Two."  
"Three."  
"Four."  
"Five."  
"Six."  
"Seven."  
"Eight."  
"Nine."

In unison, all nine exclaimed, "Muse, music start!"

After a while, it was time for everyone to head back home.

"Listen Nico," Eli says before parting, "boy or girl, Nico or not, you have, and always will be a part of Muse. I don't think we'll ever think of replacing you as long as Muse stands strong."

"Nico," Maki gives Nico a quick kiss on the lips, "see you tomorrow."

"M- my first kiss?" Nico's as everyone leaves. The next thing he noticed was a little shocking to him too.

"My first kiss wasn't the only thing stolen. Where did my blazer go anyways?"

Nico then looks out of the window, to see all eight members of Muse taking a leave. Maki seemed to carry something blue across her shoulder.

"I knew it," Nico sighs, "I should have seen this coming all along."


End file.
